


The War On Drakon: Volume Two

by kate_mckinnon



Series: War On Drakon [2]
Category: Avengers Kids - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Names have been changed, Oh god, Witch AU, gerard is pietro, lars is loki, marius is bucky, marvel AU, morris is tony, teenage angst, tw for child abuse, tw for domestic abuse, will is bruce
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-28 22:24:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10840692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kate_mckinnon/pseuds/kate_mckinnon
Summary: Becky and her friends have survived the initial takeover of the Drakons and the Alexanders of the Lorus compounds. Thinking they have been betrayed by Alrik Drakon, they are to be taken to the Shadow King himself while in his custody.





	1. BECKY : I

**Author's Note:**

> Not all characters belong to me.

"If everybody would look back at everything I've been saying and preaching and praying and saying--"   
"Shut up, Becky!" A sharp hiss came from the opposite corner of the room. There was James, my complete traitor friend who totally fucked a Drakon less than an hour ago. Funny, because last time I checked, Drakons were bad in his book, and he wasn't gay. Really funny. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you want to discredit me in front of everyone again? Well, I'm sorry, that won't be possible because half of us were just kidnapped by the same Drakons you were fucking with!" I hissed back, and he gave me a death glare. Honestly, I was just glad to have him back. I wouldn't be saying that until he apologized, though. The thing was, I didn't really think he was going to apologize anytime soon either. Until that time, I would look over our options as a group.  
See, while Ali, Sam, Alrik, Audrey, Betsy and Theo were outside the room god-knows-where, me, James, June, Aria, Eli, and Annalise were stuck in Ali and I's room. Worse, none of us really knew how to defend ourselves against all-powerful Witches that could come knocking at any time. On top of that, I was starving, and there was a puppy with us. At least we were together, right? But, at the same time, we weren't. Not really.  
Not without Alistair. Not without Theo. Hell, not even without Sam, and I still didn't even know him very well. Anxiety began to creep up on me and eat me alive and whole as I realized what it would mean if none of them ever came back. I would have gotten my friends killed just because I had a theory. A theory, which, by the way, was right all along. But what if they weren't dead? I remembered Lars' ominous warning about telling anyone else about what I thought was happening in the compound. _"They could die, or be subjected to something much worse."_ I assumed that had something to do with torture, and knowing that they were Witches, and I didn't think they would go easy on my friends. The worst thing was not knowing what they would do, though. That left everything to the imagination, words and images flooding my brain, tormenting my every thought about those left behind with horror and guilt of things that might have happened, might be happening, and might have yet to happen in the future. All I could think of when my mind drifted to the friends I might lose was split skulls and screams.   
I wondered what would happen to the people who thought that the power going out meant an attack was coming- truthfully, I didn't know whether it was an attack from the inside or the outside, but I didn't want to know either and I didn't feel safe leaving the room. Wouldn't that be exactly what they wanted? Getting everyone in the basement, everyone in one place? What would they do then? I didn't think they would actually kill us, but then again . . .   
 _"Edmund will kill you."_  
I didn't know for sure.   
What did they need all of us for, anyways? Leverage against Lorus? That still didn't mean I would survive all of this. They could get away with killing a few of us, so why not the one who discovered their secrets first, the one who looked for clues? Why not kill her and her friends? Why not kill me? Isn't that why they seemed so hyper-focused on me? I didn't mean to sound like the world revolved around me, but really. Alrik made eye contact with me. Out of everyone else in that crowd, he first saw me. And Edvald and Bjorn just so happened to like my best friends, both of whom were standing next to me the first time the Drakons walked in, all of us in plain sight? I didn't say anything about this aloud. I didn't want to sound conceited, and I sure as hell didn't want to bring up another theory around James. I wasn't in the mood for being shot down.  
The silence in the room became numbing like cold water. The ringing in my ears was pretty much driving me wild, but I didn't dare speak out. Yes, I was somewhat smug and angry because I had been right ever since the Drakons had arrived, but I was still scared. I was right, but being right wasn't worth the lives of my friends. I wished I could take back the first accusation I ever spoke against them. I wish I could have traveled back in time and forced myself to stay silent. I wish I could have reversed this. No, feeling sorry for myself wouldn't help them or me, but I didn't know what to do. I was honestly terrified, and when I got scared, it was like pressing the power button on my brain, on all the parts of me that would help me to get out of this. It was like passing out while drowning. It wasn't helpful, but I couldn't control it. If only I could fool myself into controlling it like James fools himself into thinking he's straight for basically no reason other than to deceive people and then fuck a Drakon when he says he's "just hanging out." Yeah, he was probably "just hanging out" to fucking dry because he and Bjorn probably nutted all over each other for a day gay instead of a day straight.  
But in reality, I knew I wasn't really mad at James. Well, I wasn't mad at him the most, at least. You know who I was mad at? Myself. I know, you probably thought I was going to say "Edmund," or "the Shadow King," or one of the guys who seduced my best friends or took them away. Yeah, they were runner-ups. But no one, I tell you, no one is hated more by me than myself, and no one hates me as much as I hate myself. No one.  
Because of me, half of my friends were taken and the other half were trapped. What was going to happen when they finally found us? I seriously doubted they would just let us hide out when they had such a close eye on us in the first place. It was only a matter of time now before they found us and did god-knows-what.   
 _"You have to promise you will tell no one."_ God, what a fucking failure on my part. But, thinking about what Lars said only brought up more questions to distract me with, luckily. Was he serious? Would he actually be coming? I mean, there had to be some regulations against that or something, but even if he could, why would he? And how did he know Edmund's name? How could he possibly know who Edmund was unless Edmund was older than he looked? It wasn't that far-fetched since he was a Witch and all, but the more interesting part of that sentence wasn't the name. How would he know if Edmund had it in him to squash me like a bug and blow my friends out like candles? What had Edmund done? What had Lars seen in the first year or so of Drakon? What horrors had he endured? Why had he never told anyone? At least, I didn't think he had. I mean, he did sound kind of paranoid when it came to Edmund, so maybe that was why he never told anyone. Did Ingrid know? From what she had said, the little "oh, no" that escaped her mouth, I could tell he probably had told her. But why tell her if it was too dangerous? Maybe I should have stopped using my theorist brain right then and there, but I couldn't help it. My curiosity couldn't be held back anymore.  
Finally, the ringing in my ears had gotten to my limit. "Guys." I began, testing the water. My voice was either extremely loud, or I had gotten far too used to the quiet like I thought I had. James shot me a look. I ignored it. "Do you think--" Suddenly, James' expression became more frantic that annoyed. "Becky, no, Becky, hush-" His voice got gradually louder and I heard footsteps approaching. Eli leaned over to James and put a hand over his mouth. The footsteps stopped in front of our door. Every cell in my body was screaming in terror, only my voicebox seemed to stop working right at that moment. This had to be the most horrifying moment of my life. Not even the experience with the dragon was this bad. At least that time we had Lars and we could run. I held my breath, only for it to come out in a loud scream when the door was practically knocked off its hinges. We all scrambled to our feet, Percy yapping angrily as a huge figure loomed in the doorway. The man smirked. He had a fuckboy haircut and he looked like he lifted. I hated him already.  
"Found them." He spoke with a delightful British accent, but that didn't detract from my hate. However, I was too stunned when the person he was talking to stepped into the doorway beside him. "Of course you did, I told you they would be here, didn't I?" Another British accent rang out. That was when I discovered we had been betrayed. Standing in front of me was Alrik Drakon, looking stonefaced and utterly cold. My rage made me numb. I didn't even know what to say.  
"You're British?" I asked dumbly. He pressed his lips together in a thin line.  
"I suggest you all line up."


	2. [ ALRIK : II ]

I know. I know what you're thinking. How could I? Well, here's how: Edmund asked if I knew where they were. I told him. Simple as that. That's the asshole answer, which I'm sure you've figured out by now, but the real answer is much more complicated than that.   
I'm more than thankful that Becky and her remaining friends, including my sister, were compliant. Less for my own sake, and more for theirs. Of course, I'm fairly certain it was only because Titus was there that they were in line. I suspected James had already met him, based on the glare that Titus was given by the Stark boy. I wasn't particularly surprised by this. Titus always had a rather odd obsession with my brother. From the looks of it, so did James. I had no idea why. Bjorn was about as attractive as a full diaper, in my own opinion, though I never said it aloud- I never had to because everyone else was thinking it.   
Thank god she only said something about my accent. Truth be told, I thought when I showed up at the door that she would pick up Titus and fling him across the room in a fit of rage. Maybe that was why I brought the knife from Ingimarr. Or maybe I was hoping I would find my courage before that point. In that case, mission failed. I tried to ignore Becky's glare and Annalise's sad eyes, but I could feel them on me. I could feel them thinking. _So, this is how it feels to be a tattletale._ But, in my defense, things could have ended a lot worse. At least, for me, if I had done differently. If I had not given Titus the information about where they might have been . . . It would have been disastrous. He might have even killed them. Maybe that was just something I thought to console myself, convince myself that I did the right thing.   
I flipped the pocket knife over in my palm rhythmically as we all walked. Every step down the stairs I was completely rigid, thinking perhaps one of them would surge forward and push me. I wouldn't have been surprised. But nothing happened. I almost wished something had. Still, though, I wasn't planning to just . . . betray them like that, and I certainly wasn't planning for them to stay trapped or whatever would happen next in Edmund's little plan. I didn't want to let them suffer. If I decided to stand idly by, watching as they did, what sort of person would that make me? Certainly no better than the type of person they thought of me as already, but something worse than I ever wanted to become. There was only so much bloodshed I could take before I lost my mind and before Addie stopped loving me. Who could love a monster, after all?  
I shook those long-buried memories of the past from my head and continued walking. They probably thought that I'd been planning to do this the whole time, didn't they? And it wasn't like I could clarify to them that I was forced because either they wouldn't listen or Edmund would.  
As we arrived in the basement, Edmund power walked over to the group of us, a crazed smile on his lips. A shiver went through me. That was the exact same smile his mother wore when she first saw me, and she was the one to break my spirit. They couldn't endure the amount of pain she put me through, and if I was able to get them out of Edmund's interest, they wouldn't. But how would I be able to protect them when it was my ass on the line too?  
"Ah, so you were correct." He crooned, moving past me immediately and immediately to James. "Ah, dear, you shouldn't have run off." He patted his shoulder, making James grit his teeth. He wasn't very subtle about it, to say the least. Edmund ignored his reaction and moved on to Elias. "Oh, what a doll, truly, it's so sad that you chose the wrong side when you knew there were options." He smirked at him in a horribly condescending manner before moving on to Becky, who was not about to have any of his shit. He seemed to notice this and walked right past her and onto June. It seemed she hated being ignored by him even more. Maybe she had a snappy comeback prepared. "Ah, it's a shame you're so . . . useless." She clenched her jaw but didn't reply. Smart. Seeming to be disappointed by her lack of reaction, he moved to Aria. What was he looking for? A bit of resistance? A flicker of hope that he could crush like a bug? What did he want from them? I slowly became more anxious as he gave Aria one look and wordlessly moved on to Annalise. He smiled and my chest constricted. He grabbed her cheek and pinched it before giving it a soft pat. "I'll speak to you later, my dear sister. As I've heard, you have a lot to talk about." When he turned back around, his eyes glinted dangerously and he sent a wink in my direction. What was that supposed to mean? Was I meant to respond to this covert message of which I had no idea what the meaning was? Suddenly, he groaned. "And what is this?" I suppressed a grin. "Their dog, brother. I thought it would make for excellent entertainment." I lied. In reality, Becky swore at me very loudly until I finally gave up and let her bring along the dog. Percy wagged her tail and Edmund scowled. "Fine, then. You'll be taking care of it, or it's gone. I don't want to have to deal with this mutt."   
He marched back to the front of the line within the minute and then guided us to the secret sub-level. June blanched. She knew there was no escape now. Or, she thought. Though, I still had to figure out a plan for them, of course. But even if I did figure out a temporary solution, would they even bother going along with it? They could be very stubborn, which I had already seen many times first-hand. And even if they did go along, what was the point? Their country would still be taken over. If this place was going to be anything like Drakon, they would have nothing left to live for.   
This time, I was behind the group, holding Percy as the stairs were just a little bit too steep for her. One by one, they were guided through the dark to different spots of the sub-level. Edmund didn't want them interacting. That was one of the only times he made sense. But at the same time . . . I looked around the dark, dingy room. There were orbs of disembodied, disconnected green light illuminating the faces of the scared children all around me. Some of them were my age. Some of them were younger. Much younger.  
I was momentarily glad that Reina, Juno, Rhiannon and Viktoria were in the different compounds so that they weren't able to say anything to me to do with sentiment and guilt. I didn't need them breathing down my neck, especially not now.  
I wish I could tell these kids it would be okay, but even if I could, I didn't even know if it would be. I had no idea what the Shadow King was planning. I was assuming they would live, otherwise, we would have been sent in to kill, or the dragons would have been. Maybe they would be trained- I suspected the Shadow King had always wanted an army. That's why he started pumping out kids and taking other kids like me away from their families. Would they suffer the same fate as I did? Would they lose their way like me? Would their parents, all the way across the country by now, give them up like mine did? Or would they be forced to? Hell, I doubted they'd even survive once the Shadow King had all the young blood he needed.   
"What's wrong, brother?" Edmund asked me. I looked over, giving him a slight smirk. "Nothing, brother. I am fine. Why do you ask?" Edmund smiled in return. "No reason."  
I don't think he believed me.


	3. JAMES : III

To say the least, I was a bit sour. I didn't want to describe myself as "salty," because that was a word that was exclusively used to describe Becky and I and I was a little bit pissed at her at the moment. I wasn't pissed enough to stop talking to her, no, but there was one person who I was willing to give the silent treatment. Can you guess who it was?   
Oh, yeah.  
Just because Bjorn got any attention from me before this point didn't mean that I would give him any more. I'll admit, it was fairly hard to tear my eyes away from him, but once I just closed them, it was all the more easier. He can just go fool around with Titus and be happy and gay, I thought bitterly. I still couldn't believe that Bjorn was evil. Yeah, sure, Becky was right about the rest of them, like Edmund and Alrik- the only reason I didn't believe her for a short time was because Edmund was messing with my head- but Bjorn, when we were alone, he seemed so genuine, like he actually cared about me. I should've known better. Not even the accent was real. Instead, he was both painfully hot and British. I meant that in a platonic way, of course.  
I tried to get the aching thoughts of him out of my mind, but I couldn't. Everywhere I looked, everything that was happening, it all pointed to the Drakons. Back to him.  
As we'd been led down the stairs, even though my head and heart were overwhelmed, I caught the scent of blood. Even as I sat in my designated spot, I could still smell it. It was too much to just be a bloody nose. I wasn't a shark, after all. If I could smell it without seeing it, it must have been a lot of blood . . . I had asked someone near me what had happened after the lights went out, but she just looked fearfully at Edmund and shook her head. All I could think about . . . Had Bjorn killed someone? Even if he hadn't, though, he was still in league with the people who had.   
I heard someone approach me. Despite every fiber in my body telling me to open my eyes, every thought of mine swirling and slowly solidifying into a cry for a chance to look at his face, I did not look. I was not scared of him. I was bitter. I was horribly disappointed. I was hurt. But I was not scared. I knew he wouldn't hurt me, at least not without consequences. They had to be keeping us alive for something. Maybe I was overestimating my importance, but given that Edmund himself summoned my to his room and brainwashed me personally, I thought I had reason enough for thinking I was at least a little bit important to whatever their plan was. Even if he tried to hurt me, someone would stop him. If it wasn't anybody else, it was sure as hell going to be me. I was pretty sure he only ever paid attention to me because of Becky. Anger and jealousy flared up in my heart, but I suppressed it. He wasn't worth getting angry over.  
"James?" His voice was soft, and I could tell he was trying to draw me in. I opened my eyes and looked at him, directly in the eye, staying silent as I did. I wanted to frustrate him, but his eyes remained soft as I tried not to melt. He sighed through his nostrils, clenching his jaw. Why was he even over here? Didn't he have to go suck up to Edmund and his stupid father? I crossed my arms over my chest. He sat down next to me, uninvited. We were silent for a while. This afternoon, the silence was sweet, encompassing us and letting us live in our own little world for a short while. Now, the silence came between us like a glass wall, and while he tried to break it down, I let it stay up. I was obviously more comfortable than he was.  
"So . . ." My patience was quickly thinning by the second, as well as my resolve. Really? So? Oh, really, I couldn't imagine what was going to come after that one, little word. "Are you cold?" He asked, and I nearly blew up right then and there. I curled up my hands into fists, inhaling deeply and closing my eyes again. Yes, I was cold. Everyone was cold in this damn basement, especially me. But, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. "I apologize. You look cold. If you need a jacket--"   
"What do you _want_ , Bjorn?" I snapped, opening my eyes and looking over at him. He went silent, casting his eyes to the ground. While I was happy that he had enough sense not to look me in the eyes, I was also angry that he was avoiding them, that he seemed to be avoiding the question. "I was hoping to explain myself to you since you seem quite mad, and I don't really--" "What, you don't know why? And you think that any amount of explaining is going to justify _murder?"_ He looked surprised for a moment but quickly covered it back up. Not fast enough. "No," He began slowly, "I don't really think we should avoid each other. A clean break would be better, for the both of us." I scoffed. "You're acting like we were in a relationship or something, like you actually cared about me. Come _on! Seriously?"_ He quickly looked around.  
"Quiet down, James. I just . . . I need to explain this to you so that you might understand. You don't have to forgive me. You just have to know the truth." I clenched my jaw. "Whatever." His gaze turned steely. "James . . ." He sighed, pausing. "There's a reason why I was supposed to get to you." I was hurt, but I continued listening just so he would leave me alone afterward. "And . . . Well, you and your friends . . . Have some _connections_." I sent a glare in his direction. "Just because my Dad is rich doesn't mean I have unlimited power." He might have winced slightly, but I wasn't sure in this light. "I know. I know." He sighed softly, lowering his voice as he glanced around again.   
"Let's take you for example. You're the son of two very powerful people. Morris and William Stark. But Will . . . He's a different kind of powerful." I raised a brow. I wasn't even going to bother asking how he knew my parents' names. He could have read my mind or something. Whatever. He looked at me expectantly before furrowing his brow. "What, you don't know?" I was starting to get flustered now. "Don't know what?" I asked, annoyed. "Well . . . Will is a formidable enemy, let's leave it at that." I was getting sort of confused. Formidable enemy? Enemy to who? Ms. Johnson?   
"What about everyone else? Who are their connections?" I asked quickly, trying to keep my voice down. Why was he telling me this? How would this make his case any better? "Your friend Sam? He's got a family history of peculiarity. That's all I know about that one though . . . June and Aria? Their parents are, or, were assassins. Alistair's powerful enough on his own even if you don't count his father, one of the most terrifying criminals the world had ever seen before he was apprehended. Audrey is the daughter of a rather powerful Gifted, though she wasn't what we were really looking for. We weren't actually searching for Betsy either." He finished with a sigh, looking around once again. My head was practically spinning. Already, another theory?  
"What about Becky?" I asked, noticing that he'd left her out of the explanation. Bjorn hesitated. "We weren't looking for her either. The thing is, she's got one of the most powerful auras Edmund has ever felt, and he's almost a century old now." I looked over in the direction of Becky's spot, even though I couldn't see her, before looking back at Bjorn again. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice low and hilariously failing. But before he could respond, a loud yell rang out through the basement. Even though I knew I probably wouldn't be able to see what was happening and who had cried out.  
In the darkness of the basement, I could see Edmund hunched over with a female figure standing next to him. Aria. Blood dripped from Edmund's head to the floor. My heart raced. She hit him. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. A low growl emitted from Edmund's throat and he immediately righted himself. Even in the dark of the basement sub-level, I could see him wrap his hand around her throat and lift her up into the air. "We only need one after all." He snarled. "Go ahead." Aria choked out.  
"James, look away." Bjorn quickly spoke, not bothering to be quiet now. I couldn't tear my eyes away. _No. No._  
 _Crack._   
"NO!"   
The last thing I saw before Bjorn blocked my view was Aria's limp body falling to the ground.


	4. ANDRIK : IV

I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to accomplish by doing this, but things were starting to get bad in Lorus now. Actually, they had started getting bad the second everyone left. I thought maybe it would be better for me and my pals once everyone was gone off to the countryside, or, alternatively, to war. What I didn't anticipate what that they'd be taking all the food with them. Well, not all the food, but all the non-perishables. All the stuff we really needed. We had raided every grocery store and pharmacy, but it wasn't enough to feed us all. I suppose I should probably explain all this- who I am, who "we" are, and what exactly is going on. Yeah, that sounds good.  
My name is Andrik. I won't tell you my last name because I don't bother using it anymore. It's become irrelevant at this point. Besides, people usually never asked me that anyways. They, instead, would ask me things like "Where's my wallet?" or "Where are you going?" if they weren't yelling and chasing after me to get their stolen goods back. The sad thing for them, those rich folks, is that they have no idea how to navigate the city of Reyella like I do. I'm also faster.   
Anyways, before you call me out or scold me for my seemingly selfish ways, let me introduce you to my life in a crash course.   
For some context, in Lorus, we have capitalism. There is a wide range from rich to poor. However, those of us near the bottom for the good chain can all agree that, generally, the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. I'm at the very bottom. Like the few people I really know in this life, I'm homeless.   
That changes your view of me now, doesn't it? And besides, it isn't just me there is to take care of. For example, the few people I know in this life as aforementioned.   
"Andrik, tree," Ellis warned me tiredly. A tree branch crashed down right in front of me and I stopped, looking back at him, bewildered. I understood how he did that, of course, but I still couldn't quite wrap my head around how precise his abilities were. Usually, unless the abilities were more physical than mental, like super strength, it was pretty hard to get a hold on them until you were at least twenty or so.  
As he moved past, Ellis tapped his right ear and yawned almost silently. "Oh man, that is so cool. I wish I could hear trees," Wesley praised as he caught up with me, a large smile on his face. He was trying to stay upbeat, even though our conditions weren't exactly ideal. Then again, our lives never really were idyllic, were they? "That would require being quiet on your part, Wesley." Ellis gently reminded, still pushing ahead. I regained my bearings shortly and shifted my backpack onto both my shoulders before moving on, Wesley at my side.  
Ellis was probably the most chill of this group, if I was going to be honest. Well, most of the time, at least. Anyways, he wasn't a very social person. I didn't really blame him for that. I wasn't extremely social either. There was a limit to how much you could endure and come out the other side okay. I had no idea what happened to him, but I assumed this was the best he could do with what he had left. He was also probably the most well put-together and responsible homeless person out there. That didn't mean he didn't have fun- it just meant he wasn't being stupid when he did, and he wasn't stupid any other time anyways. That, and since last winter, he had managed to get himself into such a cycle with money that he could easily afford one cup of coffee every day. He was a smart guy, and he was very resourceful as well. He could have probably gotten a job if he wanted to, but he never applied for one. It had something to do with his past, from what I could tell of how he reacted whenever it was brought up. He was always somewhat paranoid and awfully closed off- I still had no idea where he crashed at night, if he even slept at all anymore, and he obviously wasn't about to tell anyone. To say the least, he was wary of others, but that wasn't exactly bad in this lifestyle of ours. It was either steal or be stolen from.  
Wesley, however, was very open and utterly cheerful in comparison. He was also mischievous. Unlike Ellis's brown hair and dark eyes, Wesley had blond hair and sky blue irises and a charming smile. He was slightly (okay, maybe very) disturbing most of the time, but he was very cheerful. Not only that, but he very much enjoyed explosions and screwing around with different things that he could miraculously get his hands on, like a toaster or microwave. Seriously, where was he getting all this stuff from? I didn't know much about where Wesley came from, but he always claimed he was a merc. As in, mercenary. I, personally, couldn't see it, so I'd assumed he was kidding. Vergil as a mercenary, though, I could imagine. I was also pretty sure Vergil had a crush on Wesley, but I was no snitch. Besides, he already had Ophelia, Ellis' sister, trying to match him up with Wesley, so he didn't need me on his back about all of that too. Maybe instead I could set Ophelia up with someone- but who? Ophelia seemed to click with everyone she came into contact with, even Sarah, who was probably the most judgmental and bitter person in our group. Though, I was pretty sure she only got on with Sarah because she had made friends with Sarah's brother, Noah, first before meeting her. Sarah and Noah were practically inseparable and they were the only siblings I'd ever seen get alone. They'd presumably been through a lot together.  
I saw Sarah now, her and Noah moving ahead. They were both walking ridiculously fast. They were used to running, they often joked. It was an inside joke no one understood, but at the same time, everyone already had a feel of what their life had been like before they came to Reyella on their own: Bad. But, it wasn't like things were exactly great right now. Our little adventure party was here, trying to find the Lorus warehouses where they were hiding the other kids, just to get a lick of food, while everyone back home pigged out on what little was left behind for us. We had been hiking for weeks, trying to save ourselves rations before we finally found the compounds. In the back of my head, I was pretty sure we would die before we got there. I was just holding out for hope now. I could tell everyone else was fading fast too. Hey, we were homeless. We didn't have good immune systems. It wasn't our faults. Everyone except for Ellis, Sarah and Noah was starting to sag sleepily, even though we had just woken up a few hours before.  
I nearly swore. We should've gone on the train, we shouldn't have left all of this to chance. Now we were going to die out in the middle of nowhere, our bodies probably never found, our lives never fully lived . . . Or were we?  
As hacked off as I was, I couldn't help but notice the faint sound of electric buzzing from very loud generators. Oh, this had to be it. And it was. As soon as we entered the clearing, towering above us, even over the trees, were huge marble buildings all around the field. I saw no signs of life in the compounds, though. Something was wrong. Had we come to the wrong place? _Oh, God, please let me win for once, please!_  
I walked up to the nearest building. "Let's check here," I spoke quietly, keeping my voice low just in case. The rest of the scavenging party, about ten to fifteen people, followed after me as I gently opened the door.   
Immediately, I was hit with the metallic smell of blood. Oh, God, what had happened here? Had the armed forces of Drakon already swept through here? I crept inside, being as quiet as possible on the marble. Slowly, Ellis followed me inside, his eyes darting around everywhere and his pupils dilating in the dark. "What happened?" Wesley asked in a hushed tone. Before I could answer, or even hush him, there was a loud pounding, like the sound of running up stairs. My heart pounded in tune and I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. They were too quick, nobody could hide fast enough. Somehow, these people were even faster than we were. But, it wasn't just that. I felt paralyzed. I couldn't move, not even twitch my finger. Green mist curled around all of us as we stood still, like statues glued to the marble floor.   
A blond man stepped out from a stairwell a few yards away from us. Something dark coated his hands. I soon realized it was blood. Oh. I fought with every mite of strength within me to break free of this magic before realizing it was useless. We had been caught. He had got us. As he approached, his face was illuminated by the sunlight from the afternoon outside. He looked over all of us, and when his eyes landed on Ellis, he froze and then gave my friend a blood-chilling smile.   
"Oh, my. It seems another opportunity has fallen in my lap." He snapped his fingers, and we all collapsed, being freed from the spell now. I looked over to Ellis, hoping he would know who this guy was and what he was talking about when he said "opportunity." Ellis just looked pale. I looked back at the mystery man and managed to choke out a few words. "Who are you?" I breathed out as he looked down at me condescendingly.   
"I am . . . your salvation." _Um, what the hell?_


	5. ALISTAIR : V

It had only been a couple of hours since Aria died when the new ones came in. I wasn't quite sure what to think. I mean, first, we'd been looking for James to make sure he was okay, who, by the way, I hadn't seen since I spotted him in the atrium with Alrik. And then, I went to look for Alrik himself, which ended in me being knocked out and put in Edvald's room, while Edvald was nowhere to be found.   
I'd only found out what happened to the lights when the screamed started. I'd heard Ms. Johnson with her megaphone again as I had stumbled to the bedroom door. She said there was some malfunctioning with the electricity, and I heard the thump of her body hitting the floor moments later.   
The building echoed far too much, far more than a building ever should. It was like the Drakons and the Alexanders wanted to amplify the terror. I learned of this noise problem when the clamor began. It started with shrieks of terror and quick footsteps and then descended fast into chaos that I could only describe as the sound of Hell's Gates being opened to the world.   
I stayed in Edvald's room, hiding. My friends were too smart to go out during all of this anyways, and I didn't think I could save anyone. It was too loud. There was too much commotion. There was no use in going out there. As far as I knew, James was safe wherever he was with Bjorn, Alrik wold be fine, and everyone else was up in the room. Everyone was safe.  
I was wrong. None of them were safe, except for one. Alrik had betrayed us to save his own hide.  
Edvald hadn't spoken to me since he found me and moved me to the level below the basement. I didn't want him to speak to me anyways. I felt so . . . _cheated_. I mean, _yeah,_ I knew I was playing with fire, but when the flames died down and his embers warmed my soul, I wasn't expecting the fire to jump back up again and swallow my entire world like this. I expected a broken heart at worst, not . . . murder. As much as some people would probably like to blame it all on me, I knew it wasn't my fault. If anyone was really at fault here, it would be Edmund.   
He'd been acting so shady every since I met him. From the moment I first saw him, I knew there was something wrong. He didn't bother trying to hide himself in front of me after the incident with James' phone. The scariest thing was that he really didn't seem to care about it. Not even a little bit. It was like he knew that even if I said anything to anyone else, no one would believe me. Without using his words, he convinced me to stay quiet.  
He was a manipulator.  
Of course, Edvald still tried to keep everything under control, keep everything secret, and for his sake, so did I. At least, from everyone else. You see, Becky was right about a lot of things, but I couldn't tell her about everything that I knew because it was . . .  well, it was rather personal. _Extremely_ personal to Edvald, and probably his siblings as well. They weren't my secrets to share.   
After a couple nights of Edvald and I hanging out, he bared his soul to me, tears dripped from his eyes as he explained to me exactly what was going on here. He couldn't help it. I was his only connection outside of his family. What he had been holding for years finally burst, and it didn't even need any prodding. I just showed up, and he seemed to implode.   
I hated seeing him so broken, so I decided that I would do the most that I could to help him. I listened to him. I validated him. I was gentle. Not for a second did I doubt him. I had no idea if he was telling the truth or not due to his mental block, but I still believed him. I was everything for him that I wished I had the first time I had talked about what Teresa did to me when I was at home. I knew in my soul that he was broken and that with time and help, he could escape the nightmare he was trapped in. I established trust between us and I held him close when he asked me to, gave him space when he requested. He never did.   
He told me that he didn't want anyone to know what he said. I didn't ask why. I just promised him I'd never repeat any of it. After that, the next day, Edmund seemed to be lurking around me a lot more, trying to pry any secrets from me. I knew why. I realized he was why Edvald was afraid of anyone finding out he was the one to say what he said. I said nothing to Edmund. Not a word.   
I had been trying to formulate a plan to separate him from Edmund and get him to a less unbearably toxic environment, but he was too scared to leave.   
And now . . . I wasn't sure what to think. Did he somehow find out about my abusive mother before he came and decided to tug at my heartstrings with a fake story? Because, now that the jig was up, he seemed so detached from me that it as like we were complete strangers. It was like he'd never poured his heart out to me. Like he'd never shared his biggest, deepest, darkest secrets with me. Like he never had a window to the outside word at all.  
I looked up. I'd only looked anywhere other than the floor twice in a few hours, but I could hear Edmund's footsteps. Would I be next to go? Like Aria, I was friends with Becky, and like Aria, I was a part of the resistance that had formed the second they got here.   
That's when I noticed what exactly Edvald was doing. He was even more tense than before, the last couple of times that I had looked at him. He teetered back and forth. His eyes kept darting around. He clenched his jaw. I saw every microscopic movement. Why was he so on edge? He wouldn't be hurt by Edmund, I didn't think. That's when I saw it. It was for less than a second, but he looked at me, quickly looking away again. My heart swelled and pounded in my chest.   
 _Oh._  
I suddenly understood.   
He was protecting me. I heard Edmund's footsteps retreat, and Edvald settled down. I coughed softly, a rather inconspicuous noise in my opinion.His eyes flashed back over to me, and I gave him a quick "come hither" movement with my index finger, coughing again and maintaining my eye contact with him. He did a quick sweep with his eyes before quickly moving over to me.   
"Speak quick, please." He murmured, his eyes still darting around. _Oh, wow._ "I know what you're doing," I began in a whisper, also remaining vigilant. He gave me a look with his hazel eyes. I could tell he was chewing the inside of his cheek. "And what exactly am I doing?" He asked testily, and I nearly smiled. Nearly. "You're trying to protect me." I accused. He didn't deny it. There was a long pause before I spoke again.   
"I'm going to help you and your siblings. I promise." I whispered to him.   
He didn't reply, but in his eyes, I saw a spark of hope.


	6. SAM : VI

A few hours had passed. It was nighttime now, according to my watch, though it felt like the whole ordeal was one, long night, due to the darkness of the sub-level and the tiny, shimmering lights that clouded the basement air. They were beautiful, and gave light in this dark time, but I still felt uneasy, of course. That was because Aria, my friend June's sister, had just violently died by the hands of one of the Alexanders, as Becky had previously referred to him. Edmund.   
Truthfully, I hadn't really thought was Becky was saying was true the first time, but I went along with it to be a good friend while also trying to be an ally to the Drakons. I had thought maybe she was bored and angry and looking for someone to blame for this terrible war. A coping mechanism. But, apparently, I was wrong. I knew Alrik must have betrayed us for a reason, maybe to save himself. I didn't blame him. As proven, Edmund was terrifying. And if Edmund was only second-in-command, what could Alrik's father possibly be like? Was he like mine? Or was he _worse?_  
I heard a sniffle beside me and saw June looking over at Aria's body. I softly wrapped my arm around her shoulders and gave her a warm hug. "I'm sorry," I murmured quietly. I wasn't quite sure what to say to her to make her feel better. I actually wasn't sure if anything could make her feel better, at the moment. After all, murder was dark, and seeing one of your loved ones murdered in front of you was traumatic enough for some to create a villainous backstory. I would try to make sure that didn't happen to her. She was one of my best friends, after all.  
She didn't reply to my apology. I didn't want to make her, so I just stayed quiet and patted her shoulder as she sniffled. That was when I noticed the boy who was sitting next to the two of us. He seemed fairly skittish, his eyes darting back and forth, from person to person and all around the room. His eyes met mine and he stiffened before looking away from me.   
From what I could tell, his eyes were light brown, like mine. It was too dark to tell what his hair color was, though. "Hi." I whispered, and his gaze immediately snapped back to mine. He seemed rather flustered, but he hid it well. He was a pretty handsome guy, really. Just another observation. I could tell by the glare he was giving me that he was trying to be intimidating. Truthfully, it sort of worked, but not enough to deter me from interacting with him, so that was too bad for him. "I'm Samuel." I continued as he remained silent, still glaring. "This is June." I gently gestured to June, who had now clapped a hand over her mouth to keep her sobs quiet. His eyes flickered from her to me and then back again. He still remained silent afterwards. I blinked and gave him a charming smile. He seemed unaffected by it, only squinting at me in response.  
"You know, we're on the same side. There's no harm in making a friend." He remained silent. I decided to flatter him, try to make him feel more secure, more comfortable. Now, I was determined to make him talk, one way or another. "I like how resilient you seem to be, and how strong-willed you are when it comes to loneliness and not succumbing to it. I can't go very long without interacting with or talking to a friend." I exposed a weakness of mine for good measure. He was still tense. "I have friends already. I don't need any more." He muttered in reply to my previous statement. I beamed at him. "The more, the merrier, though." I smiled, and his mouth twitched. "I don't think so." He replied shortly "What's your name, if you don't mind?" I asked. He still looked suspicious of me. "Ellis." I was immensely pleased that he told me.  
"Nice to meet you, Ellis." I stuck out my hand and he warily shook it after a moment. "Nice to meet you, Ellis." June parroted me from between us, breathing shakily. "You too. I guess." Ellis wasn't much of a social butterfly with new people, but that was okay. Not everyone had to be, after all.   
"Are you from Lorus?" I inquired politely, and he nodded, sighing through his nostrils. Next to him, another boy stirred. "Why weren't you on the trains? Or did you just come from another compound?" I asked curiously, and he just shrugged. "'M homeless." "Oh." My brow furrowed. "What about your parents?" He just shrugged again, and a curly-haired boy, also very hot, looked at me over Ellis' shoulder. "Hello." I greeted him quietly. "Hi. I'm Andrik." I smiled. "I'm Samuel." I responded. He didn't try to shake my hand, since we would be stretching across two people to do so. "Do you know what's going on?" He inquired, his voice significantly lower this time. I shrugged.  
"Well, one of my friends had this theory . . . See, the people that have us down here now, they're from Drakon. My friend, Becky, thought they were here to take over." I paused. "It appears she was right." Andrik furrowed his brow, thinking hard before speaking again. "Are they going to kill us all?" I shook my head immediately. "I don't think they would kill us now. It seems more like they want to rule over us rather than to kill us. To rule over us means we have to be alive. We might also be used as leverage . . . I'm not _exactly_ sure what's going on, but I'm sure it can't be good for Lorus." I frowned.   
"They _killed_ my sister." June suddenly spoke, her voice hollow and her throat dry. I looked down at her. Her eyes were blank. "I don't think they care whether some of us live or die. They have their own people to rule over anyway. They're probably going to call for a surrender from Lorus . . . And if/when Lorus surrenders . . . I think we'll be dead."   
There was a long pause. A desolate silence. I wasn't sure what to say. All I knew was that I didn't want to die. Nobody did. Aria hadn't. Andrik was the first to speak up out of the four of us.  
"Then, we rebel."


	7. BECKY : VII

I felt like all of my systems were moving at the speed of snail, including my brain. My eyes sagged from tiredness. I had actually just woken up. It had officially been the first night since the takeover of the compound. Maybe the night wasn't even over. I couldn't tell. We hadn't been allowed back upstairs yet. Would we be allowed back upstairs soon? My stomach was grumbling. I'd never been hungry like this before, not even in school when they threw us from having lunch at ten in the morning to noon in between seventh and eighth grade. I was starving. I was actually starving. I didn't dare say anything about my hunger, though. I actually didn't say anything at all. At one point, the dry skin of my lips fused together before I broke it when I poked out my tongue to give my lips some moisture that I couldn't afford. I was on edge. I noticed every fleeting glance sent my way- and I noticed that Alrik was the source of around half of those glances. Why? Did he take joy in seeing me suffer as a consequence of his actions? Did he like this? Did he want to see me broken?   
I wasn't going to let him break me. I mean, _yeah,_ they just killed Aria in front of us. _Yeah,_ they just scared us into submission, but I was sure there had to be a way out of this. There had to be a way to fight back. The whole idea of even trying to formulate a plan in this situation sounded completely impossible, but I had to try. I got my friends involved in all of this. Even if it had happened anyway, with none of us noticing, none of us paying attention, Lars told me that getting them involved would get them killed. And I regretted involving them now, but there was nothing to do about the past except to use it to better prepare for the future. And that was exactly what I was about to do.  
There had to be a weakness for the Witches. There was no such thing as a creature without weaknesses. As big and bad and terrible Witches could be, they were not invincible. Well, not all the time. When did they go to sleep? They would probably take turns watching over us, but with a number of guards cut in half, it could help . . . But who would fight with me? There was a reason that Edmund separated us, put us into different places, close enough for us to see each other but not talk without being seen or heard easily. It was smart of him. I hated to admit it, but it was smart. At least, the smartest part of his dumb plan to take over with his dumb father and his dumb siblings . . . Maybe that was the bitterness talking.  
Speaking of the dumb plan, why had Alrik decided to side with them at the end? What good could possibly come out of this for the rest of us, for Audrey, for his girlfriend, for the people he found friends in during the short time he was over on our side? Did he just not care? I don't know why, but I just found it very hard to believe that he just didn't care about any of the rest of us. I didn't believe anyone could lose feelings of any kind so quickly, or not pick up any affections at all. It just didn't seem right to me. I mean, yeah, some people could just interact with people and hate them and have no problem stabbing them in the back, but he really seemed like he wanted to help us. Maybe he was a good actor. _Whatever_.  
That brought me to another point in my mind as I thought of all the strange things that had happened. What happened to him when he collapsed and then ran out of Ali and I's room? He had seemed to gain this thousand-mile stare before he fell to his knees, and then somehow immediately recovered from it. What was it? Was it some ploy to gain my sympathy? It scared the hell out of me, so in part, it worked. I guessed.   
I tried to shoo myself away from thoughts of Alrik, but they just kept coming back. I tried to tell myself it didn't matter, but I was so utterly convinced that there was something wrong with this picture- how hadn't I noticed that he was so close to turning back to the enemy side and taking over? Then, it occurred to me- what if he hadn't been close at all? I shook my head absentmindedly. That was just wishful thinking about the past. It wasn't going to help me now. I had to focus on the present, about finding a plan, no matter how impossible this situation was, no matter how improbable was the solution I dreamed up to get us all out. I tried to brainstorm, an idea hitting me like a bolt of lightning. I turned to the boy next to me.   
"Hey," I whispered, and he automatically shoved his phone in the breast pocket of his jacket, his dark brown eyes incredibly wide and his stiff black hair trembling slightly before he calmed down, seeing that I wasn't one of the guards like he'd probably thought. "Hi." He replied after recovering from the scare, looking at me inquisitively. He had a bit of a British accent, which made me hesitate.  
I had to try.   
"So . . ." I tried to think of a way to make this plan sound appealing, but considering we would both die if no one else stood up with us, it was understandably difficult to find a good side to it. _You could die or you could die?_ I cleared my throat and he simply raised a brow. "Well, I need some help with something . . . I have a plan to get us all out of this shithole." I paused for a moment before realizing I didn't know his name. "I'm Becky, by the way." A voice from my other side suddenly spoke.   
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ophelia." She spoke in a hushed tone. I leaned back, turning so I could see her as well. She had a rather thin face with lightly tanned skin. Her eyes were green and her hair was light brown and wavy, though it was littered with leaves and other forest debris. Compared to her, I must have looked like a ghost. "I like this plan you have." She continued, her voice low. I nodded slowly, looking back at the boy. "I'm Luciano." He suddenly introduced himself. "And I suppose I'm in favor for breaking all of us out. How do we do it?" He inquired, but before I could reply--  
"Rebecca Barnes, James Stark, Samuel Osborne, June Branson, up to the second floor, please." My heart dropped as I heard a sweet and high-pitched voice echo throughout the basement sub-level over the speaker system. Alrik glanced at me again, but this time he actually approached me. He offered his hand to me. "Come on, Barnes." I gritted my teeth and stood up on my own instead, dreading what was to come. They couldn't have possibly known what I was talking about. They couldn't have. There had been no guards around except for . . . Alrik. I seethed as he guided me up the stairs, practically breathing on my neck the entire way up. Had he really snitched on me? Either way, I was going to kick his ass. It wasn't like this was his first time snitching anyways. Asshole.  
Once we reached the second floor, Sam, James and June had joined us, guarded by three blonde girls I'd never seen. Except for one.   
"Drakon." Reina Alexander smirked at Alrik, her two blonde cohorts picking at their nails. "Alexander." He greeted in return. She examined him. "And why, pray tell, are you not wearing your engagement ring?" He was engaged? I thought he was around my age, at least. Though, I guessed you could never tell with Witches. Or maybe it was one of those weird royalty marriages. But wouldn't she be his sister? _What the fuck?_ For some reason, I felt a rage bubble building in my chest, and that was before he even had enough time to answer her nosy little question.   
Reina's gaze flickered to me. She seemed amused, by what I didn't know. I kind of wanted to punch her in the face.   
"It gets in the way." He paused. "And it's ugly." I nearly laughed, but it would have been too bitter. So what if he was engaged to her? What did I care? He was a traitor anyways. So why was I so _bothered_ by it?   
Suddenly, the door all of us were standing next to opened, and for the first time, I looked at the faces of my friends. They all looked rather grim, though Sam seemed to have his hopes up. Lucky for him. Edmund stood in the doorway before moving to the side, allowing us to walk in. "Rebecca first." Oh, great. I'd be the first to die. Executing the great leader. Awesome. Edmund grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the back of the room. I could hear quick footsteps behind us. "Brother," it was Alrik. Kill me. "They already look bad enough. They've been starved for a day and they haven't had showers. Their parents will notice. There's no need to make them look worse. Besides . . . There's plenty of time for torture after the call." He spoke quickly, and Edmund stopped, turning to look at him. What? Why was he doing this? Why was he hijacking Edmund's plan like this? Whether I was beaten or not, it wouldn't have affected him. What was he so anxious about? Why was he trying to save me from this? There was no real reason for it that I could think of, besides him maybe being squeamish. I then remembered when he threatened to cut Jordan's hands off and shove them down his throat. Okay, so maybe not. So, what the hell?  
"Of course . . . You are right, brother." Edmund spoke, but he somehow made it sound patronizing. Edmund led me to the front of the room again and sat me down at the computer I used yesterday. He typed in some information, probably using magic to make up for the lack of electricity. I wondered if they got tired from using so much magic. I wondered if their skills improved with age. That was the problem of only knowing one Witch as a friend. I didn't know. I also obviously couldn't ask. They'd know what I was trying. They somehow always knew. How could I possibly beat them? How could any of us? While I was lost in thought, someone popped up on the screen. Two someones, actually. I came back into focus quickly when one of them sobbed my name. I nearly cried when I realized who they were.   
"Dads!" I let out a dry yelp, making me feel like my throat was set on fire. I didn't care. This was the first time I'd talked to my parents in weeks, the first time I saw them. Gerard was sobbing, and Marius looked mournful, tears pooling in his sky blue eyes. "Oh, Becky," Marius murmured, his eyes beginning to lose focus. "I'm so, so sorry." He spoke quietly as tears spilled down my cheeks. "It's okay, Daddy, it's okay. I'm okay." I whimpered, running my fingers over the screen. "We're coming to get you, like Lars and Ingrid. We're coming, sweetheart. You're going to be okay." Gerard was completely losing it, so Marius was the only one who could talk.  
Edmund leaned over my shoulder, a sick grin on his face. "Surrender if you and your superiors wish her and the other children of Lorus to live to see another day." He paused as Gerard let out a howl of misery and fear. Seeing my parents like this was completely terrifying. What had happened to them? If they were so afraid for me, what did that mean for my chances of survival? How would I ever get out of here? "You have twelve hours." Edmund snarled, and then motioned for Alrik to take me away. I didn't go willingly. Kicking, screaming, scratching, I fought for my life. There was no use. No one could help me. Not even I could help myself.   
"Calm down, Barnes." Alrik hissed through clenched teeth as one of his eyes began to swell shut from a wild swing. I just screamed as I was dragged back into the hallway, seeing James being sat down next. I could still hear my Dad crying, and Daddy's eyes were frozen like ice in my mind. As the door closed behind us, I screamed even louder and flailed in his grasp, becoming a ball of anger, but he held me fast and tight.  
"Calm down. No harm will come to you as long as I am here. I have a plan." He whispered, and it took me a minute to realize what he was saying.  
We had a spy.  
Alrik had never left our side.


	8. ALRIK : VIII

So, maybe I lied. Maybe I didn't have a plan. I mostly just wanted her to calm down before my other eye got a shiner too. I mean, at least she wouldn't be glaring at me anymore. But, all I could think about was how I would have to completely bullshit a half-plan before she called me over or something and asked what it was. Oh, man, I really got myself into a deeper hole than I was in before, this time. And I used to think it was bad when I lied to the Mad King about where the table scraps went . . . I had no magic. How was I supposed to protect them? Of course, I had already recruited Edvald and Bjorn, but I wasn't sure if two Witches could face off against, what, twenty others?  
Anyways, I was thinking and avoiding everyone's gaze, as usual, but, because I'm me and my life is terribly unlucky, I looked up exactly once and immediately my eyes met Addie's monstrous glare. The sight of her, angry no less, knocked the air out of me. She beckoned me over, her motions rigid, and though I was hesitant to approach for some reason I couldn't pinpoint or explain, I made my way over to her discreetly but quickly. The second I knelt down before her, before I could get a word out, she gave me a hard slap, powerful enough to send a shock through my body, both physically and emotionally. Not only was I hurt in both of those ways, I was also extremely embarrassed for reasons I couldn't fully explain.  
However, I immediately began to excuse her actions in my mind. I deserved it. She didn't know what was going on, most likely, she probably thought I betrayed her, like Becky thought yesterday before I told her that I had a plan that I had not yet come up with. But the black eye from Becky was a complete accident. That was from aimless flailing. She'd apologized afterwards and treated me as a friend. Maybe if I explained it to Addie . . .  
"I-" She immediately cut me off the second I opened my mouth. "NO!" She shouted, and involuntary tears sprung to my eyes. How could I have failed her to make her so angry? But at the same time I asked that question of myself, I already knew the answer. It was all my fault. I should have abandoned my family like she told me to do. I should have stayed with her after the fiasco in the cafeteria. I should have followed her. I would rather be a prisoner with her than on the other side of this. If I had followed her, Edmund would not have captured her. This was all my fault. I mean, I had felt a panic attack coming on in the cafeteria, but I should have pushed through it. For her. I should have proved my love.  
"YOU DON'T GET TO SPEAK! EVER! MY MOM IS DEAD, AND IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT WAS YOUR BROTHER WHO KILLED HER! AND I TOLD YOU TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM! YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!" These words rang through my ears, and I couldn't help but notice that she didn't seem to care . . . She didn't seem to care about what had happened to me. I mean, she wasn't supposed to, but for some reason, it still hurt. I opened up to her about what had happened during my childhood, what made me so afraid of Edmund and Juno and the rest of them, and she just . . . Didn't care. I tried to shake those thoughts out of my head. Not everything had to be about me. I should feel ashamed for thinking of myself during this time when she was suffering. I wasn't worthy of pity anymore. I was a monster for letting this happen to her. I should have fought for her and for her family, even if it killed me. But I didn't. And now she hated me. I tried to keep myself from trembling in front of her. I shouldn't appear as weak for her as I really was. She didn't care. She shouldn't care. No matter how hurt I was. Becky treated me too well.  
I felt like I was alone with her. There were probably a bunch of other people staring at us, but I somehow felt completely and utterly alone. Addie's lower lip trembled as I watched her.  
"I hope you die." It was all I could do to keep the tears from overflowing and falling down my cheeks. How dare I even think of crying right now? She was already going through so much pain, and I was just feeling sorry for myself. I had screwed up her life just by being a part of it. All of this was my fault. I should have just let myself die trying to protect her.  
She slapped me again, tears spilling down her face. I wanted to wipe the tears away. I wanted to protect her. I wanted to make everything up to her. But I knew that the only way she would forgive me was if I died. "Addison . . ." I spoke softly, quietly, waiting for her to cut me off. "Edmund used you against me. He said he would hurt you if I didn't do what he wanted. I'm so sorry. I had no choice." I was so angry, entirely furious with myself for making such excuses. She shoved me back, making me fall on the floor on my back. "HOW _FUCKING_ DARE YOU! YOU SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT! YOU SHOULD HAVE TRIED! YOU'RE SO FUCKING WORTHLESS!" I felt my heart pound- out of what? Anger? Fear? Sadness? Anticipation?  
_"Hey!"_ Becky shouted from across the basement, and I looked over quickly, seeing she'd stood up, and she looked fairly angry. Addie shrieked in anger. "FUCK OFF, BECKY! THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"  
Suddenly, Edmund appeared in front of me, a brow raised, obviously unimpressed by my current position. "Everyone, settle down. Brother . . . Come with me." I quickly stood, still shaken by the encounter, all of her words echoing in my head. I followed Edmund as he went to the stairs, and I stayed silent until we were up to the next level. "Brother . . ." "Save your breath." He snapped, before looking over to Juno, who was sitting on a comfortable armchair, looking positively smug. "Fetch Bjorn, will you." It wasn't a request. She rolled her eyes and stood up before going down the stairs to get my younger brother. Then, Edmund turned to me. I tried to keep a straight face, pushing my tears back.  
"I hear . . . That you've been in cahoots with our little theorist. Offered to be her little spy." My heart pounded, but I kept my composure. I raised a brow. "And who said this? Ingimarr?" Ingimarr was notorious for getting the rest of us in trouble to make himself look better. Everyone knew this. The only person he didn't get in trouble was Edmund because of his extreme loyalty. Edmund looked at me coldly. He didn't believe me. "I searched Becky's mind last night." I snorted, even though my heart was about to explode. "I did what I had to do to shut her up. It worked, didn't it?" Edmund narrowed his eyes, and I heard the stairs creaking. I met Bjorn's gaze as he came into view. He looked grim.  
"Juno, dear, fetch me the box." Edmund requested, still glaring at me. "What's Bjorn here for? Did he get in trouble for lying to the juvenile theorists as well?" I asked with ferocity. Juno approached Edmund with a large, polished, wooden box in her arms. Edmund twisted his wrist and unlocked it, green mist swirling around his fingers before it dissipated and he fetched out something from the box. My heart stopped when I saw it, and he tossed it to Bjorn. Bjorn caught it, his brow furrowing. He looked back at Edmund in confusion before realization dawned on both of our faces.  
It was the King's whip. Immediately, tears returned to my eyes. "Brother, Edmund, please. You don't have to do this." I knew what was coming. "I'm not going to do anything." Edmund spoke, coming up to me and ripping my shirt open at the back, letting it hang over my chest before forcing me to my knees and stepping back. "If you move an inch, it will get worse." He threatened, and already, tears streamed down my face. "Brother, please! I've done nothing wrong!" I didn't try to plead to Bjorn. He had no choice, like me.  
"Hit him." I whimpered, closing my eyes and braced for the pain. The pain was so powerful, like hot flames licking my back. I almost forgot the stinging from the assault on my cheeks from Addie. Almost.  
I felt like I was screaming for days.


	9. JAMES: IX

The next few hours were unbearable. I had definitely thought about Alrik getting brutally murdered for being a dickhole, but even just hearing the sounds- the crack of the whip, either his or Bjorn's muffled cries, echoing from up above like thunder- had me on edge. I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes. I wished I was closer to Becky right now. I had already forgiven her. My stubborn resolve had weakened after starvation, dehydration, watching another friend die, and listening to another person I didn't even like anymore getting the shit beaten out of him for reasons I didn't even know. Jesus Christ. If they did that to one of their own, what would they do to us? Trick question, of course, because we already knew. There was another crack of the whip. It reminded me of the sound of Aria's neck snapping. There were pros and cons to each of these situations. Aria's death was fast, with the price of it being Aria instead of someone else, literally, anyone else. Alrik's beating (I tried desperately to make myself believe it was him being beaten instead of Bjorn), however, had lasted for at least three hours now. I knew time seemed to slow down when you were basically in hell on earth, but it felt like this shit lasted forever. The sounds were driving people up the wall. Some cried. Some prayed. Some threw up. Now I could smell blood, salt, tears, sweat AND stomach acid. None of us had anything else to throw up. Some people passed out. No one said it aloud, but I was fairly certain we were all thinking the ones who were out were going to stay out. Then we'd have another few smells to deal with.  
I sounded crass. I knew that. But that was my way of dealing with this exceedingly shitty situation. If I could sleep it off, I would. But every time I tried, the crack of a whip would rip me out of dreamland. In said dreamland, I was with my parents again. Yeah, I know, predictable. But I was homesick. The worst part was that, even if I did somehow get to go home, they wouldn't even be there. But you know what? At least I had Theo and Eli. But then again . . . I couldn't talk to them. Hell, from this angle, I couldn't even see them unless I leaned out into the aisle where the guards walked. In which case, they'd definitely kick me or something.   
What was their real plan here? To starve us until we finally keeled over? Seriously? I was going to go out in the midst of a war via starvation? Unless, of course, I stood up for myself and the rest of us and got my neck snapped. The longer I thought about all of this, the angrier I became. I wasn't going down easily. I was sixteen years old, not a hundred. I still had my pride, and as foolish as this probably sounded, I was not going down peacefully, and I was not going down unless I took a few of those damn Drakons with me.   
A wail came from above us and Addie Johnson jumped to her feet, immediately screaming. "STOP! STOP IT! STOP HURTING HIM!" The stairs creaked as someone quickly descended. It turned out to be Edmund, a malicious glint in his eyes. Addie immediately sat down. "Who was shouting?" He growled, and no one spoke. I looked pointedly at Addie. I still despised Alrik for being a rat with no class, but I remembered her shouting at him because, according to her, he was a coward. _Who's the coward now? Asshole._  
I still had to stop myself from jumping up myself and getting killed. If it was Bjorn . . . I didn't know what I'd do. Even though I had spent a short while believing he had manipulated me just to get to Becky (he technically had, but without the manipulation and instead just being natural and flirting), it was so hard for me to listen to this. I had realized within the first hour that I felt more attached to him than I really thought I was.   
Edmund followed the stares of several people until his eyes landed on Addie. She pretended like she was innocent in all of this. She obviously wasn't willing to stick up for her own boyfriend. _Wow. Relationship goals, right? What a fucking rat._ I remembered being in school and her watching over us like a hawk. Every class, everyone who wasn't a straight-A student was double-teamed by her and her mom. I guessed that wouldn't be happening anymore. Yeah, that was a particularly morbid joke, but it could have also doubled as an observation. But at the same time, I wasn't sure if Ms. Johnson really deserved what happened to her. Yeah, she was a complete bitch. That didn't mean she was asking to be executed. And no matter how many times I imagined her dying in some horrific way for my own satisfaction, it was nothing like really having the real knowledge of her death. It was harrowing. It was like an elephant sitting on my chest. I hadn't even liked her, not even remotely, but this still hit so hard. I couldn't believe she was out of my life. I couldn't believe I missed her. But at the same time, she wasn't always a huge bitch. She was also an adult, and one of the authority figures in this place. She made us all feel secure. Just the knowledge of adults being with us, taking care of us, keeping us in line, it was enough to make us feel safe. We didn't have that anymore. We might never have that again.  
"I said it." A calm voice spoke. It definitely wasn't Addie. In fact, if Addie had an opposite person, it would be him. Edmund whipped around to look at Sam Osborne. He narrowed his eyes. "Keep your voice down, Mr. Osborne." Sam probably knew Edmund couldn't get rid of him like Aria. Aria was only dead because she had a sibling that could take her place. Smart. Ish. I just wished he hadn't stood up for Addie of all people. Though, the people with the power were either too soft or too cruel. Sam was soft. "Or what?" Sam pressed. I could tell he was probably suppressing a smile based on the sound of his voice. I suppressed a smirk of my own. Edmund squinted in the dark of the basement. "You can't hurt me." Edmund let out a cold and harsh laugh at Sam's addition to his previous question. "Oh, but I can." Sam remained silent for a minute after that. Everyone was tense. Even the air seemed to stop moving, as if the world was holding its breath.  
"Sure," Sam replied shortly, and I withheld a gasp. This dude had my respect now. Soft Sam was now Smart-Ass Sam. Holy shit.  
Edmund didn't reply. He just stomped back upstairs. Soon enough, the playfulness in the atmosphere disappeared when Edmund yelled at one of them for stopping, and this time, when the cracks started again, the brother being hit screamed. He didn't try to keep quiet anymore. I leaned out into the aisle. I saw Theo with tears rolling down her cheeks, her knees tucked to her chest. Eli looked grim, his gaze cast to the ceiling.   
We could only hold on for so long.   
And by "we," I meant me. Checking to make sure no one was looking my way, I took the biggest risk I've ever taken in my life and I ran up the stairs, the cracks and the screaming covering my footsteps, and I threw myself up into the main basement. Immediately, I saw red. It was all over. There were long, long gashes in Alrik's back- thank god it wasn't Bjorn- and blood splatters on the floor. Bjorn's cheeks were red from crying. Edmund hadn't yet noticed me, and I used that to my advantage. I threw myself in front of Alrik again just as the whip came down again, letting out a yell and closing my eyes, throwing my arms out in front of me as I prepared for a terrible pain. It didn't come. I opened my eyes again after a moment, seeing green mist curled around the whip, pulling it back to Bjorn. His eyes were wide in horror. I was thankful for his fast reaction.  
"STARK!" Edmund suddenly thundered, but before he could even take a step towards me, Bjorn stepped in front of me, his jaw set. "You won't touch him, Edmund!" He quickly tried to recover, realizing he had revealed conflicting loyalties. "We need him undamaged. His father will destroy us if he is hurt." Edmund looked between me and him, his nostrils flaring.   
"My brother won't always be here to save you, Stark." I suppressed a smile. It wasn't just him doing the saving, and I would make sure he was always there. Edmund wouldn't hear either of us as long as I was still kicking.


	10. ANDRIK : X

After watching the Stark boy running up the stairs to stop the whipping, everyone seemed to be on edge. I didn't know him personally, and I still only knew half of what was going on, but this situation seemed to bring all of us together in the silence. I was lucky I was sitting with Sam and June instead of the people vomiting over the sound of the whipping. Then again, I wasn't sure if any part of this situation was very fortunate. Not only was everyone in my group starving, but we were all quickly losing hope. It was like being cornered in an alleyway with nothing behind you but a wall and a roof too high to get to. No running, this time. No escape. I hated feeling hopeless. I hated not knowing what was going on. I hated feeling stuck. I know my whole 'Then we rebel,' line might have made me sound like I believed any of us had a chance against them even if we did fight against our fates, but that was really all I could do to make anyone feel better, including myself. This was an impossible situation, something that I had never imagined in my wildest dreams would happen to me. I tried to come up with a rational, doable plan.   
So, physical violence was obviously not the best bet, because from what June told me once she stopped crying, that was exactly what killed her sister. I was fairly certain she had nothing left to leave her eyes. None of us had gotten water for the couple of days we'd been down there, and my dehydration almost caught me by surprise. I'd forgotten that it didn't take long for a slightly scratchy throat to go to a headache that felt like your brain was being ripped apart. At least we'd had water bottles on our trek up to this damn compound. Now we had nothing. Truly, nothing. Nothing but wits and determination.  
Okay, so if not physical violence, then what? I was a quick runner, and I assumed the Stark boy lived after he ran up the stairs because I hadn't heard anything that sounded like a murder taking place upstairs. I hoped I was right.   
But even if they wouldn't kill us for running, what would we be running for? I mean, I had one idea about that whole running thing, but it would require synchronization and I wasn't sure if we could all pull it off. Not only that, but there was obviously more than one compound. However, a few people away from me, next to Ophelia, was a girl named Becky, and she was able to help put this possible plan into motion.   
Most of the information she gave to me was relayed via the people between us in an extremely quiet game of telephone, so when it had reached me that she said she had a Drakonic friend on the inside to help us out, I thought it was a mistranslation. However, it was true. Apparently, that was what all the whipping was about. I wasn't really surprised when it came to that, and neither was she. She was expecting for him to get in trouble. Not hoping, just knowing.  
I decided when her friend, Alrik, came downstairs again, that I would try to discreetly call him over to me and then talk to him about this possible plan, see if maybe we could make it happen. In the mean time . . .  
I was still wondering about why Edmund called Ellis an "opportunity fallen into his lap," in his own words. Ellis said he was human. I thought he was human. But was he, really? Was it possible for a human to hear trees creak in the wind from yards away? I looked over at the "human" in question, wondering who exactly was siting next to me. I wasn't mad, not really. He was still as much my friend as he had been before. Right now, he was talking to Sam. For once in his life, or at least in the part of his life that I'd known him, he looked almost as ease talking to that boy. I suppressed a smile. Was he getting a little crush? I would have started to tease him about it, but I wasn't sure he'd like that very much, and everything was tense enough as it was. I didn't want to be the cause of him hiding back in his shell again like a tiny coffee turtle.  
You see, he just seemed so familiar, it was hard to imagine him being something or someone who was dangerous. None of us had known him for very long, except for Ophelia of course, and I couldn't think of him as anything other than what he was- hard-working, responsible, tense, hard to befriend, wary of trust, but still good. Who was he really? What was he really? Where had he come from? Was someone looking for him? I just didn't know, and right now didn't seem like a good time to ask. If I got the opportunity to ask, though, I would.   
My stomach grumbled loudly and I withheld a groan. I felt like my stomach acid was rising, eating my body whole since I wasn't eating enough to sate my own needs. A guard walked toward us. She looked no older than twelve, with dark hair, dark eyes and thin lips. I thought it would be safe to ask her. She looked young enough to manipulate. I know exactly how that sounds, but sometimes you would have to rely on your wits, on your persuasiveness to make sure you always got your next meal. It wasn't my fault. It was just me trying to survive.   
"Excuse me?" I cleared my throat after speaking, as I first spoke too quietly. "Excuse me?" I tried again, and she looked at me with a sharp glare. I was still going to try, though. I was dying. I needed food. It was unavoidable. "Can I get some food? Just a little? I'm starving over here. It wouldn't be so good if everyone here died of starvation after Lorus surrendered. Then you'd have no more leverage." I tried my best to persuade her to give me food and she just snarled before cracking the back of her hand across my face. My cheek flared red and burned as I looked up at her again. She growled, feigning a lunge towards me before moving along. My expression turned sour. I guessed they didn't care. I didn't really expect them to care about our wellbeing, but I truly thought maybe the threat of Lorus would be enough to snap them out of this. Apparently not. I guessed we were going to starve to death, slowly turning to husks as they still guarded us, until if one of them hit us, our bones would be so brittle that my jaw would break from one mediocre punch.  
 _Plan A would have to happen soon._


	11. ALISTAIR : XI

I had somehow managed to fall asleep after the whippings had stopped, my eyes simply drooping closed until I was drifting off and too exhausted to pull myself back into consciousness. Everything over the past couple of weeks had made my emotions, the entities, everything in my mind run wild. It was relieving to finally have some peace. Though, I still noticed in the back of my mind that no one was with me in my mind while I dreamed of dogs and meeting my father. I didn't think about it. I couldn't think about it, actually. I was so . . . So . . . Tired.   
After what felt like less than five minutes or so, I was violently jerked out of my dreams and thrust back into the real world when someone screamed louder than I thought humanly possible. My eyes opened, and I heard a metallic clang as something hit the ground. I looked around quickly, my eyes watery, making it hard to see, but I couldn't observe whatever it was that caused such a scream to be admitted. As I wiped my eyes clean, though, I noticed that everyone seemed to be looking at me.   
That was when I put two and two together, my blood running cold in my veins as I did. I had lost control while I was sleeping. I nearly stood up, wanting to evade these stares, but all I could do was look back. My chest felt tight. At least they weren't yelling at me, I thought. At least they weren't . . . They weren't like Teresa. I felt myself quietly gasping for air before Edvald finally found me and approached me, worry in his eyes. Worry for me. My heart nearly broke. He gently grabbed my hands before speaking.  
"Come with me." He murmured softly, and with his help, I stood up. He guided me out of the basement, shielding me from view as best as he could, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop me from seeing what had caused the scream and the clatter- a knife laid down on the floor only a foot away from Addison Johnson. A shiver went up my spine. Jegudiel. My anger, Jegudiel's anger, against her on behalf of Alrik and the pain he went through, that was who had done this. Who knows what else came out to play while I was sleeping . . .  
Addie stared at me in shock as I passed and I quickly looked away from her expression. I didn't enjoy seeing the fear within it. It made me feel like I was a monster. That wasn't what I wanted to be seen as. That wasn't who I wanted to be seen as. But I could tell that it was how they saw me. I avoided the gazes of my friends the most. There was a reason I never let the entities out when they were around. I thought they would think I was a freak. It hurt me to even imagine how they would react. "Ali . . ." I heard Becky's soft voice, and despite my fear, I looked up. She didn't look angry, or scared, or anything like I thought she would. "Feel better soon." She mouthed, and tears brimmed in my eyes before I reached the stairs.  
"Where are we going?" I asked hoarsely. Edvald bit his lower lip. "Just one moment, love." He promised as we reached the top of the stairs. "Act sick." He whispered before bringing me into the light at the top of the stairwell- the main basement. It wasn't hard to act fatigued, really. I already was. I had been starved and dehydrated for a couple of days and I was already on the brink of an emotional meltdown- literally. I stumbled slightly in Edvald's grasp, and it only intensified when I sxaw Edmund standing no less than five feet away from us. Bile rose in my throat. Aria's killer.  
"What is the meaning of this?" He snarled. I felt Abbadon shifting, whispering dirty threats in my ear, suggesting what I do to him. I didn't listen. I kept stumbling. My eyes still stung with tears. "What's wrong with him?" Edmund quickly continued, raising a brow in my direction as I continued my mediocre acting. I couldn't concentrate very well at the moment, and it was using all of my energy to keep the entities together. So, sue me for the bad acting. Edvald grunted, trying to keep me in his grasp as I "involuntarily" squirmed to convince Edmund that Edvald and I were no longer involved with each other. "YOU _MONSTER!"_ I yelled at Edvald, and though it hurt me to do so, I knew he knew I was just doing it for Edmund's viewing pleasure.  
"He's having a diabetic attack." Edvald quickly lied. "He needs food." _Smart boy. Smart, smart boy. My smart boy._ Edmund suddenly looked more panicked. "Take him to the kitchens, then! My god, Edvald!" He yelled, and Edvald quickly steered me in the direction of the kitchen. My stomach cheered at the mention of food. But what was Edvald doing.  
As soon as we were well out of sight, I stopped squirming in his grasp and he let me walk on my own, as no one else was around. It was silent for a few minutes as we just walked, though I could quickly feel my energy running out. "I'm sorry," he spoke suddenly, not looking at me. I was slightly confused. "For what?" I asked quietly in return as he sucked in a breath. "For not doing this sooner. For letting you starve like that. I'm sorry." I snorted lightly. "Alrik got whipped just for talking to his girlfriend. The stakes were high. I never thought I was getting out of there anyways." I paused. "But I forgive you. And thank you." Even though he was looking away from me, I could still see his twinge of a smile at my words. Yes, I did wish he could have done this sooner, maybe, but that would have risked his life, and mine too.   
That was when I realized I hadn't seen James in the main basement. "Where was James?" I asked quietly. "And Bjorn and Alrik?" I continued quickly, still keeping my voice low. He sucked in another breath again. "They're in Bjorn's room. If James acts out again, Edmund doesn't want anyone else to see it. But he's okay. Alrik was the only one who got hurt." I nodded to myself at his answer. It was relieving to know that James hadn't been killed quickly like Aria had.  
Soon enough, we reached the kitchens in silence, picking out some still warm soup and fresh bread rolls. I wasn't sure how they got fresh bread all the way out here, but I didn't care enough to ask. I devoured the rolls. Once I finished my first meal in days, I looked back up at Edvald. He was staring at me. His soup and bread remained untouched, and he looked troubled. Guilty. I furrowed my brow as he pushed his food over to me. "If you want it." He chewed his lower lip. I wanted to leave some for him, but I was so hungry . . . It'd never been this bad in my life. I whispered a "thank you" between every huge bite. He whispered "I'm sorry" each time.  
Once I was full, I sat back, feeling warm and rejuvenated. Our eyes met, first my gaze on him, then his hesitant gaze meeting it. "Do you want more?" He asked timidly. I shook my head. "No. Thank you." He still seemed to have a guilty conscience, but stood after a moment, offering his hand to me. I took it and stood. "Are we going back downstairs?" I inquired, and he shook his head. "No. They were going to pull you out anyways. I just wanted to get you out because . . . You just . . . You looked frightened, and exhausted. And you were the only one I could help. You're the only one who trusts me." He explained, and it was silent for a few moments as we made our way to his room.   
I honestly wasn't really sure how to respond, to be completely honest. Even as we sat on the bed together, fingers still intertwined, we just looked at the wall. That was when I realized I didn't need to say anything at all. Neither of us did. Everything we needed to tell each other was already out there. I was in love with Edvald Drakon. And he was in love with me. For the first time this week, silence comforted me. Around me swirled all our words, said and unsaid.   
Neither of us needed to say we loved the other, because it was during moments like this that we _knew_.


	12. SAM : XII

A while after Alistair was taken upstairs, Ellis was sent up as well. I wasn't sure what they wanted from him, but both Andrik and I were concerned on his behalf, though I was sure Ellis himself was concerned enough on his own. I could see it in Andrik's eyes even when his lips didn't say it.   
I felt like everyone in this basement sub-level was communicating in a language- not spoken, but felt. Still understood. It was a language through eyes, through hearts. Our hearts beat in sync, some strong and some weak, some young and some older, all quickened with the same fear. It was like we were a part of a hive mind.   
There was one other thing I felt sure of through the duration of this little adventure in the sub-level. I was completely exhausted. Utterly drained. My eyes drooped more and more, lower every second that I fought hard to keep myself awake. The darkness of the basement didn't help my case to stay awake very much, not at all.   
There was nothing left to keep me up. Ellis was gone, off to somewhere else now. Alrik was no longer being tortured right above us. Nothing to keep me thinking or to keep me on edge with worry. I wasn't sure how I knew the sounds were coming from my Drakonic friend. I just . . . Knew. Or had a feeling. I guessed. Even if it had been Bjorn being beaten, though, I would have felt terrible anyways, even if I wasn't completely sure that he was trustworthy.   
I knew Alrik was, though. I knew Alrik was good. I wasn't exactly sure how I knew, but I didn't feel like he had the capabilities to make someone innocent hurt. Like Annalise, I believe he was forced. I believed he only went along with all of this to keep himself alive, and . . . with a voice. Speaking of Annalise, I hadn't seen her anywhere. Though, I hadn't heard her screaming either, so I assumed . . .  
According to Becky, I had been right. Alrik was on our side. She believed he had been whipped because he was, and also because she had called attention to the situation with him and Addie. However, I made sure it reached her that I didn't think it was her fault. It was Addie who was the one screaming first. I didn't think for a second that Becky was at fault. With vexation, though, I didn't think it was Addie's fault either. I had never liked Addie much, of course, but she couldn't have known she was going to get him in so much trouble. One thing I did blame her for, though, was the unjust slap.  
Besides thoughts of Ellis and Alrik to keep me up worrying, though, I also thought of my father. I'd seen him yesterday, over the video call with the officials of Lorus, as I soon learned. I had never before seen him so afraid for me. Before that point, I was almost worried he didn't care for me. Almost. He had . . . He had a lot of problems at home, and sometimes he forgot to take care of me, give me everything I needed . . . He forgot to love me sometimes, or at least he forgot to show it. But this display of emotion proved to me that he did care- he cared, and that was all I needed to hear to let me make it through the night.   
He said he was coming to get me, and that he would never leave me alone ever again. I think at that point I started crying. I wasn't ashamed. I loved my father. I loved him so much, and he loved me back. Though there was no mother, no wife in the picture to care for both of us in ways we couldn't care for each other, we made it just fine on our own with each other. I wouldn't have had it any other way.  
I felt my eyes burn as I thought of him. I didn't truly know if I'd see him again. And if I did, then what? Lorus must have surrendered by now, or we'd all be dead. It was eerie to think about how we were all inches away from doom, how our fates laid in the hands of the government for one scary moment before they sacrificed to let us live. But what exactly had they sacrificed? What was going to happen to us once Drakon had complete and total control? Who would save us then? Who would save our country? Halen? They already made it abundantly clear they weren't going to get involved. Maybe it was best that they didn't, actually. Anyone who had to suffer this same fate like me and my friends was to be pitied, and those who weren't were just lucky. That didn't mean they were evil.   
Still, though, we needed help. Where would we be getting it? I heard June shift next to me. One problem at a time, I told myself, gently wrapping an arm around her, making us huddle for warmth that we definitely needed in this dark, damp sub-level. In this cold, cold, world. "I can't sleep." She murmured. I frowned softly before closing my eyes. "What's preventing you?" I whispered back. I just wanted to solve one problem today, just one, if I could.   
"I just . . . If I go to sleep, I might see her." _Aria. Of course._ I shifted myself for a moment, keeping my hold on her as she returned the gesture, knowing what I was trying to accomplish. I thought for a moment. "If you see her . . . Just remember how much you loved her. She wouldn't want you to be haunted by the memory of her. She loved you too." I whispered back after a moment. She sniffled slightly. "Thank you, Sam." She sighed softly, and I bit the inside of my cheek. I felt her relax, and slowly, slowly, slowly, I drifted off in an attempt to forget my worries.a  
There would be a new day soon. New opportunities. Another chance.   
 _I have hope._


	13. BECKY : XIII

Almost everyone in the basement was asleep now. Ali, James, Ellis and Eli were gone now, taken upstairs. I hadn't yet seen Alrik again, nor Bjorn. My shoulders drooped when I thought of Alrik. I knew it was mostly Addie's fault that he got caught, but Edmund only seemed to pay attention to the situation once I got involved with it.  
I glared at Addie's sleeping form as I remembered the screaming from the afternoon two days ago. Had it really already been two days since the flogging? Four or so days since the takeover? Four or more days of starvation? I felt like it had been less time, but my stomach thought it had been much longer. I shifted slightly, feeling my butt becoming unbearably sore, and I curled into fetal position. I could feel my foot quickly falling asleep, and as much as I wanted to join it, I couldn't seem to make myself.  
I was too busy thinking. Worrying. Feeling helpless. I knew it wouldn't help to worry, and that I couldn't simply think my way out of a situation, but what else could I think about? My parents, all the way across the country, probably, and having just surrendered so I could be safe after going to train to be safe? My friends, who were either going missing and were all in danger as we could only sit idly by? And I couldn't even think of anything mundane, like what would I be wearing tomorrow. All I could think of was how to survive, how I was going to make myself survive. Maslow's hierarchy of needs, I thought to myself. Basic needs before wants. Okay, so maybe school wasn't entirely useless, maybe I learned a couple things out of my, so far, twelve years. I wish they'd taught me how to think when you felt your heart slowing down and your stomach ate itself.   
I heard someone clear their throat from above me and I nearly groaned aloud. What now? Was I breathing too loudly for Edmund? What the hell did he want from me?  
I didn't look up.  
The person cleared their throat again and I could practically hear their reproachful gaze. I looked up, weary, my eyes slightly dry. I blinked once when I saw who it was.  
Reina, Edmund's sister, Alrik's fiancee. Oh, great. Another person to get on my back like I was a horse or some shit. Just what I really needed right now. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. I hated her, and she hadn't even spoken to me yet.  
"What?" I asked sharply, though it was slightly ruined by my dry voice, which caused it to be hoarse. I also winced. I wasn't off to a great start with intimidation, but really, I didn't care anymore. I was tired. I was ready to give up. I didn't want to, but it didn't seem like I had any other option anymore.  
She looked at me quizzically before giving me a grin. She extended her hand to me. "We should take this conversation somewhere more private, don't you think?" Her hands looked clean and soft and cold. Her nails were perfectly manicured, shaped like almonds. She smelled like vanilla. I still hated her. Though I was extremely weak at the moment, being starved and all, I managed to still keep my pride, and I pushed myself up off of the ground. Humiliatingly, I still had to look up to look her in the eyes. How tall was she, anyway? Her legs seemed to last forever, peeking out from under her short skirt. And they were shaved perfectly, of course, because fuck my life, right? Not only that, but I was eye level with her boobs (they were nice boobs, but that doesn't matter).  
Reina snorted and then walked off, assuming I would follow. She was right, to my annoyance. Though, I couldn't really risk getting beaten to death by Edmund or whatever right now. I watched her legs as we walked, shoving my hands in my sweatshirt pocket. She walked like she was on a runway. This, like many other things about her previously mentioned, also annoyed me. I followed her up the stairs to the main basement, and my heart froze. I had to force myself to keep moving, not wanting to dwell on the untouched blood stains on the wall and floor. The feeling of Edmund's eyes on the back of my head helped me move faster.  
She guided me to the first floor and I noticed that she hadn't looked back at me, not once. She was either entirely unconcerned with me keeping up, or she knew just how stubborn I could be. Or she thought she did. I snorted quietly as she elegantly cracked her knuckles one by one with her thumb. She didn't really need to try to be intimidating. All she had to do was stand up and poke my chest with one of her Witchy fingers and I'd probably go tumbling from the lack of nutrition. If it wasn't for anxiety, I wouldn't be able to stay awake enough to walk like she wanted me to.  
We reached a room which I assumed was hers. It looked fairly simple and everything was mostly in a cream-colored scheme like her short dress and heels. She sat down on her bed, but I just stood in the doorway. I leaned against the doorframe, my jaw clenched and my eyes as steely as I could make them. I wanted her to know I didn't like her. I wanted her to know I was more strong-willed than to be taken down by the mere sight of a big, soft bed. She flicked a bit of her blonde hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear, bedazzled by green jewels that matched her eyes. She looked at me expectantly and I just looked back. "What?" I asked again. She seemed satisfied, which wasn't what I was going for. I tried to appear more rigid, kicking off of the wall and just standing up straight in the doorway now, though I was sure that if my legs weren't shaking from exhaustion now, they would be soon. She looked amused, sucking in a breath through her nose before deciding to answer my question. I continued to glare.  
"Ever since I was a young girl," _Oh, Christ. What is this?_ "My mother told me one thing, one thing only. One piece of advice to live by for the rest of my life. And while my brother seems to forget this piece of advice, I intend to live by it." _Hurry up, please._ "I'm guessing it isn't "treat people the way you want to be treated," is it?" I asked dryly, and she simply gave me a condescending smile. "No, it is not." She paused. "She always told me, "Reina, reginae primus est semper." The Queen always comes first." _Thanks for the Latin lesson, Texas cheerleader._ "Uh huh." I let her know to hurry up through small indications of my annoyance. Instead of becoming bashful, or maybe hurrying up, she just smirked. "What an awfully good listener you are." She remarked in a tone that I couldn't tell whether what she said was sarcastic or completely serious. I didn't bother asking.   
"What my mother meant by that cryptic advice was to put myself before anyone else." "And Edmund isn't doing that?" I immediately spoke up. She raised a brow. "Edmund has never been self-serving. A pompous ass, maybe, but never selfish. He does everything in the name of his dear father. I, however, am always looking out for myself, and to do that, I must always join the winning side. And, at the moment, I believe, with help, you and your little friends might just make it." It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. "What, so you think that not only can our scrawny asses beat a group made up of Witches, but you want to be there when we do?" I asked for clarification, and she yawned, delicately tapping her manicured fingernails on her cheek before lowering her hand, with its abnormally long and slender fingers, to her lap once again. "Yes." She answered shortly, and I felt a rage bubble building in my chest once again.  
Okay, so first things fist in my analyzation of this situation, she was obviously a snake. Not only that, but the way she was smiling, the way she was acting so nonchalant, it _really_ ticked me off. She was treating my survival, the survival of my friends, the survival of my nation, like it was some kind of practical joke. Like it was some kind of game. But at the same time, the way she spoke gave me some odd kind of satisfaction and a little bit of hope. But did she really think we could overcome this?   
"And what do you think about that?" She inquired, taking my silence as thinking, which she didn't seem to have expected. Just her tone of voice nearly made me say no. Why was she so sure of herself? And what the hell was she doing, talking to me anyways? Why didn't Edmund stop her, stop this meeting from taking place? Was this some sort of trick? What the hell was wrong with these people? But I couldn't risk saying no when it might be real. I just couldn't.   
Her green eyes sparkled. They almost looked like they were glowing. "Do you accept?" She prodded.  
We had no hope left. I didn't know what else to do.   
So I said yes.


	14. ALRIK : XIV

After James threw himself in front of me and was then taken out of the room, I was finally let go. Everything was burning. My back felt like I had been skinned, and though I couldn't see what had been done to me, I could feel it so intimately without touching that I could almost imagine how it appeared. Edmund wasn't allowing anyone to heal me with magic, so I just had to grit my teeth and move through, letting Reina put bandages on my back. She seemed to have been fairly excited for that part of my recovery, because she somehow wished up a "sexy nurse" outfit for herself. Though, as most things were with Reina, it was for her own enjoyment, not mine. I say this because the entire time she was putting bandages over my lashes, she was standing over me as I laid facedown on the floor. Yeah. She still enjoyed the outfit, though. Nice to know that at least one of us was enjoying themselves, because I certainly hadn't been. Since she wasn't allowed to use magic to heal me, she couldn't make me at least feel numb when she started sticking wet cloth inside of my flesh. But, whatever. There was no good that could come from complaining about it. I just had to grit my teeth and move on . . . As always.  
Like now, as I was being called to Edmund's room. Why he was in his room instead of patrolling, I didn't know. I didn't ask. As I entered, I saw him spinning around in that stupid chair again before he came to a stop and stood up, seeing me now. He clicked his black combat boots together and ran a hand through his hair, almost always fidgeting, as I had noticed after a short while. It was hard to hate him when I saw him acting so . . . normal. He just seemed like a boy who wanted to make his father proud. Then, I remembered the stinging on my back and I was reminded that not everyone is as they seem.   
I withheld a grimace as he approached me, keeping my hate inside, keeping my rage sated by imagining beating him with a baseball bat until his head looked like a squashed watermelon. "Ah, you're here." He stated the obvious. "You summoned me." I replied dryly. "That I did." He spoke in return, pausing for a moment. I waited for him to speak again as dream me adjusted his grip on the aluminum weapon he held. "Because you were missing from the meeting last night due to your . . . injuries, I wanted to fill you in on what you and the rest of the Drakons are assigned to do." I was stiff- too stiff. He noticed and smirked at his triumph. He knew I knew that I couldn't do a damn thing to him, and it was the most infuriating experience of my life. "Okay." I spoke through gritted teeth. "What are we supposed to do?" I inquired, humoring him for the sake of getting this little surprise meeting over quickly.  
"Well, because you Drakons are so wonderful at your jobs as laborers, you are to take the leverage to Father." I tried not to show how much this affected me, and in what ways, but with Edmund, the less you let on, the more he knew. I didn't know how he did it, how he extracted so much from me, but at the same time, he had known me my whole life. And it sucked, because he knew everything about me from all that experience. "Okay." I said again, feeling my patience becoming more and more strained with every second that passed while he remained breathing in my face. "However . . . for safety purposes, you'll have to walk. In case of interception . . ." _Safety purposes. Interception. What a load of shit._ I closed my eyes as a flash of anger ripped through me like a tiger's claws through tissue paper. This always happened. No matter what mission I went on with my full siblings. We were still the bastards of the Shadow King. We were still lower than low. We were still dirt underneath the feet of the Alexanders. You see, the Alexanders, most of them might have been bastards as well, but the difference between the two groups of us was that the Queen actually gave a damn about her children. Even the bastards were still of her blood. But in the eyes of the rest of them, the Drakons were nothing but little pets, runts to do their labor.  
I opened my eyes again after a moment. Edmund looked amused. "Something wrong, brother?" I smiled tightly. "Just my _injuries_." I replied scathingly. "When do we leave?" I inquired through my teeth. "Tomorrow morning at daybreak. Twelve hours should give you enough time to get used to the woods, don't you think?" He remarked idly, and I gritted my teeth. "Yes, of course." I replied shortly. "Excellent." Edmund paused, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. I wanted to rip them out of their sockets. I still felt lucky he couldn't hear what I was thinking. "And, I heard your fiancee wants to meet with you. You'd best be going right now. You know how impatient she is." I was glad to be dismissed so soon after him toying around with me, but my annoyance was quickly replaced with confusion. What did Reina want to see me for? Though we were betrothed, to be married at eighteen, we never really spoke unless I begged her to teach me how to harness and use magic.   
I felt the fabric of my shirt agitating the bandages on my back and gritted my teeth- I had asked her politely to give me stitches or at least get me to someone who knew how to give me stitches, but while she silently denied my request, I got the feeling she was ordered not to do anything for my injuries that were actually beneficial. _Just hold it in. Hold it all in,_ I kept telling myself. That had worked for the first couple of hours of the flogging, anyway. I walked slowly to Reina's bedroom, feeling pain with every step. I considered taking off my shirt, but when I got to Reina's room and opened the door, I realized that would have been a terrible idea.   
Why? Because Becky was in there, as well as Addie. Okay, I admittedly would not feel so self-conscious with my shirt off around Reina because she did the same around me with ease and trust, but Becky was still only a friend and Addie . . . Though Addie was my girlfriend, I didn't quite trust her like that. I didn't know why, but I didn't trust her with that image of vulnerability. I mean, we hadn't been together all that long. Trust must take time, I suppose.  
"Er," I began, and Reina, sitting down at her vanity ( _how did she get a bloody vanity to this place while I barely got my own clothes?_ ) in a pink slip with fur trim, whipped around to face me, standing up immediately. "Hello, darling." She winked, slinking over to me while I stood completely and uncomfortably still in the doorway. She then grabbed my wrist and gently pulled me farther into the room, shutting the door behind me. "Why?" Was all I could muster as I took in the situation. Addie was extremely miffed, sitting on the opposite edge of Reina's bed that Becky's corner was, and Becky herself just looked extremely tired. "Ah, you bring up an excellent point as always, my eloquent Alrik. Allow me to explain." She let go of me, sitting back down at her vanity and gesturing to Becky.  
"I've formed an alliance with your little friends and, because Edmund filled me in before you, I decided to bring this little thing," She gestured to Addie, "along on our little trip because I like watching her squirm." I shot an apologetic look to Addie, who just glared, clearly not wanting to deal with me. It almost stung more than the gaping cuts on my back. "Is that all?" I gritted my teeth, looking back at Reina. Why was someone so cute so hellish? She just smiled cheerily. "Yes. You can go now, man-boy. Barnes and I have planning to do." Though Becky didn't look extremely pleased by the prospect, she brightened a little when Addie let out an audible groan. We caught each other's eyes, and I mentally gave her a wish of good luck. She gently snorted. "Go!" Reina shooed me out quickly and I left, flinching when her hand hit my back.  
And of course, once I turned around, Edmund was leaning against the wall across from me. "Brother." I greeted on instinct. "Brother." He replied shortly, pausing. His green eyes scanned me, looking for something he couldn't find. A smirk grew on his face as he noticed my awkward posture to avoid pain. I wasn't scared of him. He always thought I was scared of him. I was scared of the Shadow King, yes, but not him. But every time he mentioned his father, I realized what an impossible mission I was trying to complete. How could I destroy my maker? How could I beat someone who raised me up from nothing? How could I vanquish someone with infinitely more power than me? I didn't know, but for the sake of hope, I would try. Did I really have anything left to lose?  
"You will do your best to get them to Father, won't you?" I smiled. "Of course."


	15. JAMES : XV

It was the night that I ran upstairs that Bjorn and I laid side by side in his bed, alone, while Alrik had his wounds treated in Reina's room. It was well past midnight from what I could tell, but neither of us were asleep. Bjorn's breathing was too controlled, and though his eyes were closed, the eyelids were too tight. He didn't look relaxed. Maybe he was waiting for me to sleep before he could let himself relax. I wanted to tell him I wouldn't hurt him, that he had nothing to be scared of, but from what I'd learned of what happened during his life in Drakon, I wasn't sure that would be the right thing to say, or if it was accurate at all in his case. Though, in my case, I was almost startled by my lack of fear. Maybe I had shut it out, maybe I was lying to myself, but I didn't feel afraid right there next to him. I chewed the insides of my cheeks as I regarded him, wondering what I should say should I choose to speak.   
"Why are you so afraid?" I whispered. Yes, it might have been nosy to ask, but I couldn't help asking. I wanted to help. We were friends, after all. Slowly, his eyes peeled open and he stared at me tiredly, shifting under the covers. His eyes wandered around my face. He seemed to be doing that a lot. I wondered if he noticed that he did. I wondered if he did it on purpose to make me feel self-conscious. He sighed softly through his nostrils and focused on my nose rather than my eyes. I wondered if I touched a nerve. "I'm sorry." I quickly added. He just shook his head. "It's okay." He paused. "I just . . . I suppose I've been thinking a lot more about things that are dangerously out of my control." He answered calmly. I decided I wouldn't press on unless he invited me to, or he delved in deeper on his own. "You can tell me." I murmured softly as encouragement, and for a moment, a smile ghosted over his lips. My heart quickened for as long as it lasted. "I know." He replied shortly, shifting again in the blankets.  
"If you think I'll be afraid after you tell me, if you think your life's problems can deter me, you're wrong." I told him, and he gave me a dark look. "Don't be so sure." He replied softly with an ominous undertone. Despite myself, I smirked slightly. "You saying that only makes me surer." He scoffed softly, though a real smile played on his lips. "Oh, James, please. You're ruining my brooding." He teased, though as we looked at each other in silence, thoughts suffocated our hopes. "I'm serious when I say you can tell me. I just don't want . . . I don't know. I just . . ." I struggled to find the words, but I stopped talking when I knew he understood. He knew I cared. Oh, this damn boy. First, he seduces me, and now, he makes me care.  
"If I was to tell you about . . . my life, what would you like to know about it?" He inquired timidly, still staring straight at my nose and biting his lower lip. About a billion thoughts circled through my head as I tried to think. What did I want to know? "I . . ." I paused. How could I possibly know where to begin? How could I possibly know what was a sore spot for him before I asked him? I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, I didn't want him to shut me out. "I don't know. Whatever you want to tell me." He sighed through his nostrils again, but he seemed more relaxed now, slowly sagging into the mattress with every other breath.  
"Do you wish to learn about the Shadow King?" He finally asked after a moment, and I hesitated before replying. "If you want to tell me about him." He nodded silently in response. I thought for a moment before asking my first question. "Why do you and your brothers- well, and sisters- seem afraid of your father?" There was a long pause and his eyes searched my face again, though avoiding my eyes. I felt one of his fingers brush against my left hand and I gently slid his hand over mine to comfort him. Neither of us seemed to want to let go. He brushed his thumb over the back of my hand, casting his eyes so far downward it almost looked like he closed them.  
"Well . . . He is not my father, which is only part of why there is such distrust and turmoil between us all. He . . . He is a very cruel man. He took us from our real parents, coerced them into giving us over with fear." He paused as my eyes widened. I tried to seem casual and all about it as not to discourage him, but he was only a couple of sentences in and I was fairly sure I already knew where this was going, and dread was settling on me quickly. _What had happened to him?_ I gently squeezed his hand and he continued.   
"He would put us in boxes, keep us separated at all times until we were around ten years old. I believe it was meant to create distrust between us, maybe rivalry, while he was something like our imprint. A thought that sounds _sweet_ until . . . Until he makes us . . ." He paused, finding his words. I was still completely and utterly horrified, but I didn't dare interrupt. "He tested us, many times. Before he sent us on missions, he would put us in these . . . awful situations. Glass boxes completely underwater. Rooms on fire. Collapsing caves. He tested us, tried to make us use our magic. There were some of us, like me, who passed these tests with, of course, trauma left behind. There were some like Alrik, though, who, because of our mother's curse, could not perform their own magic, and had to be saved before they died. All of us were marked." He pulled his hand away from mine for a moment, pulling up the sleeve on his left arm and brushing his fingers over the soft skin under his arm. A black mark appeared, and in the dark, I deciphered what it said. In tiny print was the word _"Soldier,"_ with an arrow above it.   
"Is that . . . ?" I breathed out as he remained silent, staring blankly at the marks. He shook his head. "He branded me." He fell silent after that, and so did I. "So that's why . . . ?" I finally asked after a little while, trailing off once again. He grunted. "The Shadow King is ruthless. Even to his own "children." The ones who _aren't_ afraid of him are in his back pocket." I almost replied, but he quickly pressed a finger to his lips, and we heard footsteps approach the door. I immediately shut my eyes, turning away from him to seem less suspicious. There was a knock, and the bed shifted. He got up and walked to the door. Light flooded the room. Both of us expected that it would be Alrik there, but instead, I heard Edmund speak. "Hello, Bjorn. Would you please meet with me and the rest of your siblings to receive your new job?" He spoke to him in a sickening sweet tone. "Of course." Bjorn replied calmly, and after a moment, the door shut, and I was left alone in the darkness. I fell asleep on my own.  
When I woke up again, I noticed Bjorn was still gone, and immediately, a cold panic swept over me like a vulture over roadkill. That was when I heard all the commotion. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was a lot more noise than I had expected to hear in what I believed to be the early hours in the morning. I heard what sounded like a billion people milling around nearby and I quickly came out of the room to see everyone from the basement being released. Most of them were heading straight to food, which I couldn't blame. Bjorn had managed to sneak some food to me somehow the other night. _"Hey!"_ I heard a quiet exclamation and my heart pounded as I turned around to see Ali leaning out into the hallway from the doorway of a different bedroom- Edvald's, I was guessing. I broke into a smile for the first time in days and we met each other halfway with a hug.   
"What happened to you? Did Edmund hurt you?" He asked immediately. "No, no, I'm fine, Bjorn just had to keep me hidden- but why are you here? Were you here last night? What's going on?" I inquired urgently. "Edvald sneaked me out of the basement so I could get food and I ended up just staying. I think they're letting everybody back up, but . . ." He paused, and another question jumped to mind. "Oh god, is Becky okay? Is everyone else up here with us?" My eyes widened and we broke apart.  
"Aw, you were worried about me?" A voice called from further down the hall. I whipped around to see Becky wearing a smug smile and I snorted. "Fuck off, Barnes." I joked, and she approached quickly, joining the hug with a soft, content sigh. There was a pause. "Should we get some food?" Becky asked, and Ali practically moaned at the mention of sustenance.   
Even with that small moment of happiness and reunion, I was still worried. Worried for Bjorn. Worried for Theo and Eli. Worried for Sam, June, whoever else was still alive. After what he'd told me last night . . . I don't know. Previously, I'd assumed that since they were royals, that they'd been living the life. But they weren't royals, not really. They were soldiers. They were broken upon birth and then glued back together, the Shadow King trying to rip them apart until all that was left was devotion to their leader. I couldn't even imagine what he would do to us, the expendables. _Who hurt him? Who made him like this? No one was born that evil._  
When we reached the kitchen, it wasn't the piles and piles of food that shocked me. It was the sheer amount of people descending on them all at once, pushing each other aside, doing anything just to get some scraps, including fight. I hadn't even noticed Edmund until he came down on one of the people fighting for food and threw them to the floor, making the crowd disperse some. He sent the three of us a chilling smile. "Food for the very important prisoners." He spoke as everyone backed away, and I stiffened. I wasn't normally extremely empathetic, but I wasn't going to stand for this. _Very important prisoners . . ._  
"Give them their food, you dickweed." I commanded, and he gave me a cold glare before moving aside, allowing the horde of other "less important" prisoners snatch up most of the good food. I didn't regret it, though. I would take every opportunity I could just to give Edmund the verbal finger. He watched me closely, but I ignored him. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of falling to his knees weak with starvation. No way in hell. I knew that no matter what plan any of us came up with, it would have around a twelve percent chance of succeeding, and that defeating a kingdom full of Witches was next to impossible, but that wasn't going to stop me from being the most difficult prisoner of war they'd ever had.  
Ten or so minutes later, the crowd began to clear on its own. I still didn't know where anyone else was. I had only been vaguely aware of Ali and Becky talking to each other next to me- I was almost entirely immersed in thought. Edmund wasn't anything like the rest of the Drakons- I mean, obviously. He was almost like their leader within the group, like the Shadow King's mini me. That being said, like the Shadow King and unlike the rest of the Drakons that I had observed, none of them actually seemed to enjoy when they had to hurt people, but Edmund seemed to insist upon it.   
Edmund . . . He was a _monster_. He was the one who made Bjorn whip his own brother. He was the one who manipulated my mind with his magic and molded my thoughts to his specifications. _What the hell happened to him to make him like this?_  
"James?" I tore my eyes away from Edmund's green irises and focused on Ali, who had just called my name to bring me out of what must have looked like either a wet daydream or a violent fantasy about Edmund. "Yeah?" I blinked. If anything, it would be an extremely violent little dream. He seemed worried for a moment, but covered it up well after a second. "Becky was just asking about what happened to you with Bjorn?" He replied patiently, and I just shrugged, assuming she was talking about what happened after the flogging, before my eyes trailed over to her and I saw her wide smirk, and I automatically knew she meant what had happened during the night that I was in his room.  
"Oh, shut up. I'm straight." Her eyebrows immediately shot straight up, but she kept smiling. "Well, I don't think he is." She teased and I simply rolled my eyes. It felt great to be on good terms with her again. She and Ali were my best friends, after all. I wouldn't make it without them. "What were you doing, then? If you weren't making out with him, I mean." She continued before I gently punched her in the shoulder. "I made him sleep on the floor." I lied. "What were you doing?" I retorted, and suddenly, her expression became a lot more serious. "Well-" But, before she could tell me a word of what had happened to her, a voice spoke from a couple yards away.   
"James?" I turned and my heart skipped involuntarily. _Stop, heart._ "Bjorn." I replied, making my way over to him. He looked uncomfortable, but unscathed. "Are you okay? What happened at the meeting?" I asked quickly, keeping my voice low, but it was pretty easy to cover up our conversation giving the amount of talking people around us. "I'm fine." He paused, pondering my second question for a couple of minutes. "Well . . . I don't believe I'm allowed to say, but you would be finding out soon enough anyways." He paused again, still looking uncomfortable, even vaguely guilty. Whatever it was, though, I was sure it wasn't his fault. "You and a select few will be moved to Drakon over land to avoid interception. I . . . I wasn't told what happens after that point. I thought you should know, and give your friends a heads-up. Most of them will be coming with us." He ended quietly. An apology was in his eyes, and I understood. Pa and Dad would probably never see me again. There was a chance I'd die on this journey. And if I didn't . . . I would meet the King. Bjorn's gaze was blank. Maybe he was holding himself together for me. Maybe he had already gotten everything out before he told me. I didn't know. But I knew it wasn't his fault.   
Impulsively, I leaned forward and I hugged him tight. "I'm sorry." He murmured next to my ear. I shook my head a little. "No. You're a great friend, Bjorn. You've done all you can." Something inside told me that he wouldn't like to hear anything about a plan to fight back, but I knew I had to come up with one quickly. I couldn't let this happen to me. I wasn't meant for this. I wasn't meant to meet this wonderful guy and then be killed by his father and leave him all alone. I wasn't going to die at sixteen years old. There was no way I'd already passed my peak.   
And there was _no fucking way_ I was letting Edmund win.


End file.
